Becoming a Sailor

Becoming a Sailor

More Than a Decade Afloat • Raising Sailors • Stories from SV Aphrodite

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  • Our story in six chapters, in the order we sailed it.

    See the story-map →See our entire route →

    Before We Moved Aboard

    • From House to Sailboat: How a Road Trip Changed Us
    • Buying Our St Francis 50 Catamaran
    • Learning to Sail From Scratch
    • Our Family Camping Gap Month
    • Browse all 113 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    Florida and the Bahamas

    • Living on a Sailboat With Kids: Freedom or Confinement?
    • Crossing the Gulf Stream
    • Off the Beaten Track Bahamas
    • Bahamas Long Reads: Exumas Stories
    • Browse all 43 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    The Caribbean

    • Luperón Long Reads: Boat Kids Go Local
    • Dominica Travel: If Outside Magazine Visited
    • Rough Offshore Sailing in a Gale
    • Long Reads Grenada: 6 Stories From Our Sailboat
    • Browse all 66 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    Panama and the Pacific

    • Crossing the Panama Canal
    • Shellback Ceremony at the Equator
    • Long Reads: Galápagos
    • Sleep Deprivation at Sea
    • Browse all 11 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    Melanesia

    • Heavy Weather Sailing: NZ to Fiji
    • Sevusevu Ceremony in Fiji
    • Land Diving on Pentecost Island
    • Shallow Water Blackout
    • Browse all 19 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    Micronesia to Southeast Asia

    • Lagoon to Table: Subsistence Fishing
    • Losing an Anchor in Thailand
    • 322 Days in a Malaysian Boatyard
    • Bangla Road Phuket
    • Browse all 26 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    By Topic

    • Learning to Sail
    • Downsizing & Moving Aboard
    • Sailing With Kids & Homeschooling
    • Boat Projects & Gear
    • Health & Safety at Sea
    • Food & Provisioning
    • Family, Crew & Guests
    • Writing & Creative
    • Browse all 291 posts →
  • About the CrewMeet our family of six from OttawaSt Francis 50 Catamaran Specs: SV Aphrodite, a Bluewater CatSV Aphrodite, our St Francis 50 catamaran
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Category: Preparing for Cruising Life

Preparing for Cruising Life begins right from the start when we thought about buying a boat, and living afloat seemed like a dream. This category describes the moving parts we lashed together to pack up our house, learn to sail, shop for a bluewater catamaran, refit our St Francis 50, and launch our family circumnavigation adventure.

Long Term Storage While Traveling: feature image
September 12, 2026September 12, 2026Lorraine Escher

Long-Term Storage While Traveling: Is It Worth the Cost?

Photo of Escher kids on SV Aphrodite on the Ultraleather saloon cushions after slightly less than two years of use.
November 23, 2025July 22, 2026Lorraine Escher

Ultraleather Boat Upholstery: Our Honest 9-Year Review

Our move from house to sailboat began with a roadtrip. Here is a photo of our kids running along the beach of Lake Superior with a banner of our tent and van with the text The Road Trip that Changed Everything, referring to the 60 day camping trip we took the summer before we bought our St. Francis 50 catamaran, SV Aphrodite.
January 1, 2024July 22, 2026Lorraine Escher

From House to Sailboat: How a Family Road Trip Changed Us

Malaria prevention for sailors: as arranged at Guardian Pharmacy, Savusavu, Fiji.
June 12, 2023September 13, 2026Lorraine Escher

Malaria Prevention for Sailors: Getting the Right Medication

November 1, 2016August 14, 2026Lorraine Escher

English-Speaking Eye Doctor in the Dominican Republic

September 3, 2016August 13, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sailing Life Culture Shock: Questioning the Dream

June 28, 2016July 17, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sailing with Kids: Our First Year Cruising as a Family of Six

Beginner Sailor Departure Checklist: Photo taken under red lights to preserve our night vision on an evening departure
May 25, 2016August 5, 2026Lorraine Escher

Beginner Sailor Checklist for Leaving an Anchorage (PDF)

Moving aboard a sailboat: A composite image that includes four checklists I created after moving from a house to a sailboat as a family of six from Canada.
December 28, 2015August 7, 2026Lorraine Escher

Moving Aboard a Sailboat: The 4 Checklists We Wish We’d Had

Offshore Medical Kit List
December 15, 2015September 20, 2026Lorraine Escher

Offshore Medical Kit List: What We Used in 10 Years Aboard

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From the Archives

  • Boat Projects
  • Homeschooling Four Kids
  • Early Years of Cruising
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